


Of Ink And Needles

by ReneeLaRoux



Series: For Eternity: Arthur And Merlin [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Tattoo shops, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-27 09:01:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16215800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReneeLaRoux/pseuds/ReneeLaRoux
Summary: Arthur gets inked





	Of Ink And Needles

    “How much did that hurt?”

    “What??”

    “ _That_.”

    “Oh! Um... I don't know, quite a bit. I don't have as much padding there as some other people.”

    “I am _not_ fat!”

    “On a scale of one to ten, it was about a seven.”

    “Ok.”

    “Yeah.”

    “How long did it take?”

    “Arthur, when I said ‘put your mouth to good use’, I didn't actually mean to start a conversation.”

    “Ok, ok, sorry.”

-     -     -     -     -

    Merlin should have known something was up. Some of the questions about his tattoo were understandable. Tattoos weren't really a thing when Arthur was first alive. Any markings were usually reserved for the crude branding of mercenaries or the sacred symbols on the druids. No respectable man in the Five Kingdoms would have sunk to defiling their bodies like a savage.

    But the questions soon turned from the natural curiosity about the _how_ and _why_ and became more specific. Did it hurt? How much did it hurt? What did it feel like, exactly?

    “Why all the questions suddenly?” Merlin inquired as he chopped vegetables for dinner. Arthur had popped into the kitchen to steal a cherry tomato and ask how much tattoos bled.

    “Oh,” Arthur’s golden skin reddened. “Just wondering.” He dropped the tomato he was about to toss in his mouth and scurried out of the room. Merlin just blinked and continued making dinner. _He’ll tell you when he’s ready_ , he reminded himself with an eye roll. Honestly, sometimes Arthur was as difficult to understand as a teenage boy.

    Merlin found out on his own with surprisingly little effort. He walked into the office one day to find Arthur’s laptop open on the desk, with no Arthur in sight. He had really no intention of snooping, really! But as he moved closer to grab a book from the shelf, his eye was drawn to the webpage that was currently open on the laptop.

    Eternity Tattoo Shop.

    Specifically, the portfolio of one of the artists at Eternity Tattoo Shop.

    What was Arthur up to?

    The man himself emerged from the toilet in the hall and stepped back into the office. When he saw what Merlin was looking at, he flushed pink.

    “I can explain.”

-     -     -     -     -

    The smell of antiseptic assaulted his nostrils as soon as they walked in the door. A bell chimed to herald their arrival, and a petite woman with an afro and multiple piercings glanced up from the counter.

    “Afternoon,” she greeted them with a bright smile. “How can I help you boys?”

    “I have an appointment at 4:30,” Arthur said, glancing around the shop with a bit of apprehension. The woman clacked some keys on the computer before her.

    “Arthur Pendragon?”

    “Yes, m’am,” he nodded.

    “Go ahead and have a seat on the couch, and Jeremy will be right out for you.”

    Merlin followed Arthur to the waiting area and settled in, taking in the ambiance of the place. It seemed clean, professional, and comfortable, and there was a row of certificates proclaiming the artists were fit to tattoo and that they were all trained in First Aid. That’s what really mattered in Merlin’s book. He turned to see Arthur a shade of pale that he’d only seen a few times before, on the cusp of a battle.

    “Are you going to be alright?” He asked, taking Arthur’s slightly clammy hand in his. He squeezed gently, satisfied when he felt the reciprocating squeeze.

    “I think so.”

    “Don’t think about the pain. Just think about the beautiful new piece of art you’ll have on your body after,” Merlin suggested. “Are you going to tell me what you’re getting now?”

    Before his boyfriend could answer, a deep voice called for Arthur Pendragon. They were approached by a young man with tattoos covering every inch of his exposed arms. He had a friendly face, and Merlin watched Arthur visibly relax as the two shook hands.

    “You ready?” Jeremy asked. Arthur nodded and turned to Merlin.

    “Do you want me to wait for you here?”

    “I don't think so,” Arthur smirked. “You will go wait somewhere else, where you won't be able to see anything until it's finished.”

    “Fine! Text me when you're done,” Merlin planted a kiss on Arthur's mouth before gliding out the door.

    The text came while Merlin was strolling the aisles of a bookstore just a few doors down, coffee in hand. He hastily shoved the book he'd been skimming back onto the shelf and hurried out of the shop. He would never admit it, but he had been anxious. Oddly, he’d been more worried about Arthur getting a tattoo in a safe, sterile environment than he had been when Gaius used to perform medical procedures with primitive supplies.

    The chiming of the bell brought Arthur’s eager attention to the door. Merlin approached Jeremy’s station, where the men were still lingering. Arthur was sitting on a chair with his arm propped on the padded table, looking a little pale but generally pretty happy. Jeremy was wiping down his work station, no doubt preparing for his next appointment. Arthur stood and grinned broadly, pride gleaming in his eyes.

    “Let’s see it,” Merlin said. Arthur held his arm out for inspection, and Merlin was careful not to touch the fresh wound. For a moment, he was speechless.

    Inked in black and gray long Arthur’s forearm was Excalibur, the sword Merlin had once gifted to his King. The lines were smooth and precise, and each detail was vivid and beautifully executed. It was a stunning rendering, if Merlin said so himself. Given that only two living people had ever actually seen Excalibur, Jeremy had done an incredible job of recreating the image. Arthur must have given him every detail he could possibly remember, and for a man who had been dead for over 1500 years, that was impressive.

    “It’s beautiful,” Merlin said quietly, suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. “It’s perfect.”

    “You really like it?” Arthur beamed. Merlin nodded. “It’s for you. A reminder of everything you’d ever done for me, what you continue to do for me.” Merlin swallowed hard and turned slightly watery eyes on him.

    Jeremy gave them a few more moments before coming to wipe down the fresh tattoo once more. He slathered what smelled like cocoa butter across the wound and quickly applied a special black wrapping to protect it while it began healing. He explained to Arthur everything that he would need to do to help the healing process.

    “I’ll make sure it gets taken care of,” Merlin told the artist.

    “He's a physician,” Arthur added proudly.

-     -     -     -     -

    Weeks passed. The inked Excalibur went from red and sore to scabby and flaky. The the last of the scabs had fallen off and the new skin was revealed, leaving Excalibur embedded safely under Arthur’s skin. Merlin had made sure the tattoo had been carefully cleaned and moisturized and had insisted on checking daily for any signs of infection or trouble with healing. Now, as the two men stood in front of the bathroom mirror, they observed their own tattoos. Merlin’s, a dragon curling around his torso in Pendragon red, and Arthur’s, the sword Merlin had once forged for him.

    “Now, you know this is as good as getting our names tattooed on each other, right?” Arthur commented as he flexed his arm. “We can never break up now.”

    Merlin turned to look at his lover. His eyes burned with something Arthur could not name.

    “You have me for eternity,” he finally said, voice firm and unwavering. “You always have.”


End file.
